Telehealth PT Benefits – Statutory Barriers Across State Lines
With the weakening of the covid 19 pandemic, I expect the utilization of Physical Therapy services by telehealth will decline. However, the necessity of learning to provide and receive Physical Therapy services via telehealth uncovered benefits of this service model including: Eliminating time spent traveling to and from appointments and time spent waiting for care…
Read More
Sensory preference & learning optimal movement
There are many cognitive strategies to cue, prompt, and provide feedback to improve movement. The dominant theory proposed by Gabriele Wulf and colleagues is providing cueing, prompting, or feedback to facilitate learning to move in a more optimal way is using an external focus of attention is more effective and efficient than using an internal…
Read More
Catch 22 – Underutilization of 2D Slow-Motion Video Analysis
Why is there low utilization of 2D slow motion video analysis of movement by Physical Therapists? There are many advantages for using 2D slow-motion video analysis for management of movement disorders including increased accuracy of diagnosing movement impairments; improved communication with patients and healthcare team; increased engagement of the patient; and improved understanding of movement…
Read More
Home based Physical Therapy Services – unique benefits of observing real-world issues
Traditionally physical therapy services provided at a person’s home occurs when the individual was “homebound.” According to Medicare regulations homebound is the patient requires assistance to leave home and that when they do, it requires a considerable, tasking effort. This is no longer the case. You do not need to be considered home-bound to receive…
Read More
Butt pain – Isometric Exercises
“Butt Pain.” has different tissue diagnoses. Possible diagnoses are sciatica; piriformis syndrome; gluteal tendinopathy; hamstring tendinopathy; bursitis; hip arthritis; and others. There are many treatments for butt pain. My “go-to” exercise for butt pain is isometric contractions of the gluteal muscles. In my experience rarely is trying to “stretch it out” effective treatment for butt…
Read More
Optimizing human movement requires clarity of description of movement
To optimize human movement, analysis of human movement is required. To identify optimal human movement clear qualitative and quantitative descriptions are needed. When describing human movement confusion occurs when we fail to clearly identify a frame of reference and reference point. A common description of a gait deviation is the individual is “hip hiking.” What…
Read More
Whole vs part method of learning to walk/run a new way: deviant to less deviant
When learning a new physical skill an individual, therapist, or coach can choose to practice a new skill in whole or part. Motor skills learning can be practicing the whole movement or part of the movement. In whole practice acquiring a skill is by practicing the movement in its entirety, whereas the part that practices…
Read More
Exercise prescription – Art & Science
Exercise while not a drug can behave like one. Exercise can help in the management of chronic diseases and offer pain relief for individuals suffering from musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Like prescribing drugs, the concept of dosage applies to exercise prescription. A dose-response to exercise is not unlike drugs however the minimum dose, dose-response, and maximum…
Read More
Adding observation of deceleration forces to diagnosis & treatment of movement system impairment syndromes & musculoskeletal pain syndromes
Shirley Sahrmann and colleagues share an elegant clinical reasoning process model to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal pain syndromes and movement system problems. The movement system is physiological organ systems that interact to produce movement of the body and its parts. The basis is alignment in a deviant position and repeated deviant movements in a…
Read More